Thursday, May 26, 2011

I tasted it long back in a canteen in Tuticorin and learned that they do some make-over on their leftover pooris and sell as delicious dessert with evening tea. I have never heard of such a thing before....may be it was/is a local snack or an invention to attract the crowd. All the workers would rush to get this sugary poori and it will be sold even before the tea break begins:) My colleague Ambika akka, would drag me there to get our quota from our friendly waiter, who would sneak some for our table as per plan:) Recently I prepared poori with kilangu (yellow potato masal) on a Saturday and made these jeera poori with afternoon tea to surprise my hubby. Though it is nothing but sugar and oil, it will definitely brighten up a lazy weekend. Try this and enjoy!

(i)Wash and soak the idly rice + kambu overnight.
Soak the urad dhal + fenugreek seed for 4 hours and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
Grind the rice+kambu to a fine paste with little water.
Mix both and add enough salt. Let the batter ferment overnight.

(iii)Dry roast the required kambu till it gives a nice smell, powder it and add to sour dosa batter or buttermilk+ dosa batter to make instant kambu dosa.

Dosa:

Mix the batter well before using.
Heat a dosa tawa, sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil. Using a clean cloth wipe and spread the oil uniformly allover the tawa.
Pour a ladle of batter and spread into thin crepe.
After one side starts getting red, flip and cook the other side too.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Some years ago I tasted this dal makhani and jeera pulav , in a restaurant in NJ and since then tried to figure out the recipe. But I couldn't get the exact taste. Then decided to try from Deepa's 'Hamare Rasoi', which I admire more often. I like her dedication in explaining the recipes with utmost care and details. The curry came out just like the restaurant version and no wonder it became our favorite:) The following recipe belongs to Deepa and recording the notes for my future reference only. Click to see the original recipe. I am sure you all will like that. Thank you Deepa dear, I learned a popular recipe from you:)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Today I read in a Tamil E-newspaper about an Indian festival associated with Amla, Goddess Lakshmi, a golden amla rain, gold buying tradition and more importantly CHARITY. It is called Akshaya trityai. So I wanted to make a post on the Amla, which Indians consider as a holy fruit. The festival comes around the peak of Indian summer and it will definitely remind us to take more amla, which can make people fit for the weather. Amla (Indian gooseberry / nellikkai), has innumerable medicinal benefits. Click this link to read the medicinal value of Amla. I prepare this buttermilk often with breakfast during summers. Enjoy this drink at any time to get more healthy, beautiful and of course wealthy too, as per the belief.

De-freeze the amla or wash and clean the fresh gooseberries.
Remove the seed and slice the amla. Pulse it in a blender along with little water and extract juice. Repeat extraction thrice.
Mix the juice with buttermilk, salt, cumin and chopped curry leaves.
Amla more is ready!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Pomegranate pulav is more famous among people who cannot take spicy hot dishes. This pulav goes well with any spicy non veg curry or paneer makhani. This is more like a 'sweetish ghee rice' topped with pomegranate or Kashmiri pulav . After tasting it in a restaurant I tried it at home to bring back that taste. This is a very forgiving dish and anyways we will get an amazing pulav. I am pleased with the outcome and we both enjoyed it to the core. Hope you all like it too. Enjoy :)

Wash the rice thrice. Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
Cook it with more water (5 cups)and 1 tsp salt , till it is 3/4 th done (cooked but very firm).
Immediately pour over a strainer / colander and remove the water.

Add the rice and mix without breaking the rice. Soak the saffron in milk while cooking. Garnish with soaked saffron + milk , finely chopped cilantro+mint, fried nuts. Reduce the heat and cook covered for a few minutes .Keep aside.

Choose a very ripe seedless pomegranate.
Take out the red fruits (fleshy seeds) alone and keep aside.

Before serving, bring the pulav to piping hot by microwaving or dum process (placing over a hot tawa). Remove from heat and add the pomegranate, mix well.

Pomegranate pulav is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Pomegranate pulao can be served with spicy Indian lamb curry (mutton kulambu) or mutton sukka varuval or kheema curry or simply with a raitha.
A glass of mango lassie with this combination is common.
The pulav should be tasty all by itself, but not spicy hot.
Avoid reheating after adding pomegranate, as it will affect the pulav's color.